The Luster of Stars in Moscow
⁇ 44
"It's hard to believe that Rafael has a dual personality" Cyzarine muttered.
"No need to think about it" said Mikail. "Your job is to adapt to the stage without Cheri and Rafael. Of course it won't make any difference to what you did during this performance, will it?"
Cyzarine swallowed and bowed.
.
.
.
I have to return Rafael as soon as possible, Cheri thought. Go, Cheri! Rotate your brains! He commands himself.
Rafael has described "another personality" through "The Shadow of the Beautiful", if I can decipher the contents of the script I can certainly find the weakness of "other personalities" known only to Rafael.
"Hmmm.." Cheri muttered softly.
"Dream of the Beautiful One" appeared from inside the mirror, then disappeared!
Mirror…?
Mirror…
At that time Rafael's face was also seen in the mirror…
Cheri was stunned to see a large mirror attached to the wall in Rafael's room.
"Hey, come! What else are you waiting for?" Rafael yelled at him from the bed. "We're just alone."
Cheri turned to the man with a gloomy look.
"Well-yeah, indeed this room is not romantic at all," Rafael cerocos while lying folded his arms behind his head. "Women are happy with things like that, but I'm not. As long as I can have you, this is enough for me!"
Cheri remained unmoved. In the last scene, "The Beautiful Shadow" comes out from the mirror, but…
There must be a mirror!
The man pulled his body and lowered both his legs from the bed, then sat hunched over with both elbows resting on his knees. "Rafael will really suffer this time," he murmured with a grin. Then it moved and grabbed Cheri's wrist and pulled him closer.
There must be a mirror, Cheri thought. Then suddenly screech and ambush Rafael's hand, "Blood?!"
Rafael jerked his hand from the girl's grasp with his jaw tightening.
Cheri tightened his grip and scrutinized the man's knuckle. "Why is it so swollen and bloody?"
"That's the wound I got when I hit Mikail!"
Cheri sighed the man towards the sink. "Until it bleeds like this, it should at least be washed!"
Rafael jerked his hand once more, louder than ever before and came loose. "Never touch me" he growled. "If I touch you, you can't touch me!"
He spoke like a child sulking, Cheri thought. Then he approached the man and extended both his hands.
The man shuffled away from her. "There's no need to pretend to be nice to me" she insisted.
Cheri didn't rub it. The man's hand was ambushed once more and then pulled.
"Let go!" The man clasped his hand again. "Or I'll slap you!"
Cheri did not let go and insisted on washing his wounds. "I don't care" he said. "I'm used to this hand slap." He lit the faucet and flushed Rafael's hand with water. "It's Rafael's hand," the cerocos while cleaning the man's hand. "I know this hand better than you."
The man rebelled and pulled his hand. "Here's my hand" he was unhappy.
Cheri closed the water faucet and looked at him.
The man ambushed her again and pushed her to the bed then overstretched her. "This hand, this body that touched you, it's all mine. So is yourselves. You are mine!" The man pressed his lower body to the lower part of Cheri's body.
"Rafal—" Cheri screeched as he pushed his chest as the man slipped his face under Cheri's neck.
"Don't try to look at me as Rafael! I am me! My name is not Rafael!"
Here it is, thought Cheri. That's weakness. I understand this feeling. The feeling that burned me when I was locked up behind the scenes as a shadow that was not considered.
Don't ignore me!
Please look at me!
This personality bears the alienation that Shadow of the Beautiful experiences continuously for a long time.
Caged in Rafael.
Exclusion and intimidation!
Meanwhile, Rafael himself even turned and stayed away from him. Refuse and deny it.
She must be very lonely, Cheri thought concernedly.
Cheri stopped pushing, but did not immediately lower his hand from the man's chest. "Do you have a name?" Cher asked lirih. "What's your name?"
The man blinked with his mouth closed. Staring deeply into Cheri's eyes.
Cheri could feel the man's chest begin to explode.
Cheri's soft hands on his chest made the man's blood burn. Warming up his entire body in an instant.
This fellow…
Perhaps I have never felt affection, thought Cheri.
"You're not alone" Cheri said.
"I hate being pitied!" The man returned aggressively and nearly tore off Cheri's dress.
"Rafael has acknowledged your existence. That's why she rewrote the script of The Beautiful and the Ugly!" Cheri tried to convince the man.
But the man was getting louder.
"Let go!" Cheri turned his face and pushed the man again. "You did this only to hurt Rafael! Likes me just no!"
The man's grip suddenly softened, one of his hands creeping up Cheri's face.
Cheri gulped and gulped. He looked at the man's mouth towards his mouth, and he knew exactly what he was going to do. He could have stopped it, but he didn't.
That face…
A flash of the shadow of the event in front of the elevator flashed through his mind.
After all it was Rafael's face!
It was hard for Cheri not to be dazzled and pounding.
"I want you" the man whispered.
Nah! He's not Rafael! Cherry reminded herself. Then they started rebelling. "I hate you!" Hardness on the man.
"This has nothing to do with Rafael," the man insisted, then buried his mouth in Cheri's mouth.
Cheri remained rebellious and jerked his face to the side.
The man grabbed his neck.
Rafael!
Help u!
Come back!
Cheri lamented in his heart.
He must be conscious!
If he really loves me…
He will definitely save me!
Cheri peered towards the mirror.
Twenty-two, thought Cheri. Round twenty two…
It was the moment where the "Dream of the Beautiful One" confined within the mirror would come out!
.
.
.
"Will Cyzarine be okay without Cheri?" Sesha asked anxiously at Mikail while peeking at the show from backstage. "This is an important scene of the meeting of the Beautiful with the Shadow of the Beautiful. He had to play two figures alone."
"It must be hard" Mikail muttered without distracting her from the show. "But isn't that what he did during the show?"
Sesha gave a short sigh. "Yes, he's a little outrageous. But—"
"This is an opportunity for him to prove himself" Sergah Mikail interrupted Sesha's words. "If she's a good actress, I'm honestly not sure she can handle this better than Cheri." He glanced at Sesha and smiled faintly. "This is the new one whose name their acting is pitted against!" He adds.
Mikail is right, inner Sesha. Cyzarine is indeed the best actress at the MoscovArt Theatre, but that is because she is much more experienced than Cheri. But Cheri was the opposite. This was his first experience in the theater world, and everyone underestimated his ability.
In the worst situation that has never happened in a show, Cheri who is still an amateur was able to overcome the situation—save the situation. It even replaced Cyzarine in a precarious situation. But Cyzarine kicked him out after things improved.
Now Cyzarine is in the position of Cheri!
Can he overcome this?